1 gcse drama language to explore drama gcse drama language to explore drama © tps 2007

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GCSE DRAMA

LANGUAGE TO EXPLORE DRAMA

GCSE DRAMA


© TPS 2007

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Introduction

Absurd

Ad lib

Aside

Chorus

Climax

Epilogue

Flashback

Genre

Conclusion

GCSE DRAMA


GCSE DRAMA


Antagonist

Anti-hero

DenouementDialogue

Direct address

Hubris

Metaphor

Monologue

Plot

Prologue

Protagonist

Soliloquy

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When you engage in When you engage in drama activities drama activities

during your GCSE during your GCSE course, you will be course, you will be expected to use a expected to use a

certain vocabulary to certain vocabulary to describe the drama describe the drama

that you are that you are experiencing or experiencing or

creating.creating.

This will bring you This will bring you into contact with a into contact with a whole new world of whole new world of

wordswords.

Language to explore drama

GCSE DRAMA GCSE DRAMA

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Whether you are exploring strategies, analysing a text or

responding to a production, you will be

exposed to the language of drama.



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It is therefore important for you to It is therefore important for you to understand and to be able to use understand and to be able to use

appropriately a number of terms in the appropriately a number of terms in the drama classroom.drama classroom.

By using these terms, you will be able to By using these terms, you will be able to communicate your thoughts and other communicate your thoughts and other

people will be able to follow your people will be able to follow your meaning more easily.meaning more easily.



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We are going to name and analyse a number of those terms to enable you to use them in your speech and writing in

drama.

Some of these are acting terms; others are playwriting terms.



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You will not be expected to remember all of these at

once.

However, a feel for what the terms mean will help you to incorporate the terms into your own work gradually

during the course.



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You will already know the word ‘absurd’ to mean ‘ridiculous’ or ‘nonsensical’ in

everyday language.

The term was used in theatre, particularly after the Second World War, as the

destruction and madness of the slaughter made people question the sense of their

existence.



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Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot is a an example of absurd theatre.

Two tramps spend all their time waiting for Godot to appear to rescue them from

their miserable existence.

Godot does not arrive and the tramps continue to wait each day.



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By portraying the world as illogical, playwrights could

create comedy and tragedy in different ways.

From the theatre of the absurd sprang comedy and

tragedy.



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This comes from the Latin phrase ad ad libitum.libitum.

This means ‘as you please’.

In other words, ad libad lib in acting terms means making up the script as you go

along.



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Some directors encourage actors to make up the script in certain parts of the production and ad lib the dialogue.



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This means that the actors are spontaneously making up the dialogue.



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If the whole script is missing and actors are encouraged to make up the entire

dialogue, this is known as improvisation.



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This is the term used for a character who is in some kind of conflict with the main

character.

The main character is the protagonist.



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This is the main character of the play, in other words, the protagonist.

However, this protagonist has qualities, that we would not associate necessarily

with a hero.

His or her qualities may be of the order that we cannot admire.



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This can be a remark or long speech that is made to the audience.

The other characters do not hear the remarks so in many ways the audience

feels that the character is sharing a secret with them.



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The chorus is usually a group of people (but can be one character) who stand

aside from the action and comment on it.

Greek tragedy introduced the chorus into drama.

The chorus has the task of providing a commentary for the audience and can link

scenes together seamlessly.



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The climax of a play is the most exciting part of the play that the action has been

working towards.



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The final moments of a play.

This is the part of the play where the complexity of the narrative is explained.

In most plays, there is a final solution to the drama and a resolution amongst the

characters about the future.



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Dialogue is a conversation between at least two people.



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This refers to an actor talking directly to the audience.

In this way the audience becomes part of the play.

Sometimes too the character comes out of his/her role to make comments to the

audience.



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This is the final section of a play.

The epilogue can summarise the preceding action or it can leave the

audience mulling over the action without a clear conclusion to it.



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Flashback is used to go back in time to give information to the audience about

the background of a character or background to the plot in the past.



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Genre is a type of drama.

The genre could be tragedy, comedy, thriller.

The plays that belong to a particular genre will have similar devices used. Their subject matter will

be similar.



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In many ways genre is a family of drama.

Plays can fit into one family or, for example, it could be a tragedy with scenes of comedy within it

to lighten the tension for the audience.



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This is a flaw that can be seen in many characters.

Hubris is a form of pride where the character is overconfident in his/her own abilities.

The results are fatal and bring about tragedy through the character’s arrogance.



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Something is described as something completely different.

So a parallel is drawn with something different.



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‘She is Venus herself’ would indicate that the woman being described is being likened to a

beautiful goddess.

From this image the audience can conjure up a vision of the woman and also have a clear

indication of what the character thinks about her.



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A monologue is a speech made by just one character.

Other characters are present and listening to the speech.



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This describes the chain of events that make up the story of the narrative.

It shows the audience how the story unfolds.



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This is an introduction that not all plays have.

It is a speech that introduces the play.

Its purpose is to reveal just enough about the plot that follows to tantalise the audience and ensure

that they want to continue finding out more.



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This is the principal character of the play.

He or she is the character who kick-starts the intrigue in the plot.



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This is a speech made by a character who is thinking out aloud and letting the audience hear

his/her thoughts.

No other characters are on the stage at the time.



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Conclusion


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We have only considered a few techniques that a playwright might use.

It goes without saying that you are unlikely to find all of these techniques in every play that you see

or read.

Techniques are used to hold the interest of the audience and to engage them in the action.



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The playwright wants to entertain and enlighten his/her audience.

By using these techniques, he/she will attempt to do just that.

By learning these terms, you will be able to analyse drama more effectively and communicate

your opinions about it more succinctly.



1 gcse drama language to explore drama gcse drama language to explore drama © tps 2007

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